Photo Essays

Every Sunday in Iraq, along a strip of embankment on the Tigris River reserved for followers of the obscure and ancient Mandaean faith, worshippers bathe themselves in the waters to purify their souls. But unlike in ancient times, the storied river that runs through Baghdad is fouled by untreated sewage and dead carp. By Philip Issa

They pollute the roads and chug along at a snail's pace, but to their Pakistani owners the rickety trucks are moving pieces of art. And indeed, the trucks with their many garish portraits of flowers, Islamic art and snow-capped Himalayan peaks are now attracting global attention. By Caren Firouz and Jibran Ahmad

Egyptian activist and artist Yassin Mohammed, who walked free last month from a Cairo prison after serving a two-year sentence for taking part in a protest, chronicled daily life in his cellblock. By Hamza Hemdawi

The Cologne Cathedral will be illuminated over the next few days as a stance against hatred. Messages will be projected onto the sides of the cathedral to recall the end of the First World War 100 years ago. By Gaby Reucher

Style-conscious Muslim women were long ignored by the mainstream fashion industry. An exhibition at San Francisco's de Young Museum confronts stereotypes on Islam and style, showing that Muslim fashion is far from drab. By Antje Binder

The southern state of Chiapas in the indigenous Mayan heartland of Mexico shows how vital the Muslim community is in this predominantly Roman Catholic country. Many predominantly indigenous Tzotzil men and women have converted to Islam from Catholic or other Christian denominations. By Edgard Garrido

More than 70 years after Pakistan's foundation, architectural jewels dating from the British colonial era are being torn down – especially in the economic metropolis of Karachi, many buildings are threatened by the demolition ball. Impressions by Syed Raza Hassan and Akhtar Soomro

Almost 65 years ago, the CIA overthrew Iran's first democratically elected prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh. Recently the U.S. State Department published documents showing the full extent of U.S. involvement in the coup. By Thomas Latschan